Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Technical Stuff (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/)

-   -   A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/102011-superb-car-cleaning-polishing-detailing-guide-550.html)

Of course lovely pictures apart, won't the layer of wax/sealant act as another layer of hindrance before the water gets etched into paint? With the case of bug spots, I felt it far easy to remove if the car is waxed than otherwise.

I wholly agree with you. However, to take these pictures I had to spray some water in fine mist on the polished areas and then take a photo. in reality in the rain the water drops will simply roll off the paint. Remaining water will drop off due to the vibrations when one starts the engine.

Rounder the water drops, higher is the hydrophobic effect and it rolls off the paint easier. Hope this helped!

I had the same doubt as Thad. In my case I observed water droplets drying and leaving behind stains which would look horrible until washed. Thanks to the sealant it wouldn't etch into the paint.

First and foremost, DO NOT let the regular car wash guy touch your car. Your car sitting with dust for weeks is better than that guy cleaning it with his own special technique. You have put in several lacs into a nice car, invest a little fraction of that for its TLC. Get some MF cloths/wash mitts, a nice shampoo, a car duster, etc.

Specific answers to your questions:

1. I do not recommend Amway shampoo. I have used it extensively and noticed that it is too strong for my liking. If you apply any protective layer like wax, one wash with Amway shampoo will strip off a majority of that. Use a milder shampoo like Sonax Car Shampoo or Meg's NXT Shampoo.

2. Same can be used to clean the alloys as well. However, make sure to use different mitts/cloths for them. Keep them separate for the equipment you use for the car's body.

3. For methods, you can search the WWW. There are insane number of articles/posts/videos that teach you how to polish & wax your car. To clear the air, polish & wax are two completely different things. Polish corrects paint defects and adds glaze and shine while wax is primarily a protective layer, while also adding some amount of shine. IMHO, wax should be preceded by a good polish to ensure that wax only goes on to seal good paint. By taking proper preventive care, you can also reduce the need for extensive polishing and hence a mild polish from time to time can be more than sufficient.

I use Collinite 845 wax which is one of the older waxes and I prefer this much more than the modern tech-savvy waxes.

4. Do not let polish or waxes get onto the black cladding. It will stain them. You can use products specifically designed for them like plastic/dashboard polish. These will keep them in good shape and looking nice.


Buy a Jopasu Duster. This costs 500 odd and can be used every/alternate day to get loose dust off the car. Regular use of this will reduce the need for frequent washing. It is very efficient and whole car can be cleaned in 5 minutes.

Also learn about waterless washing. I use RAW Waterless Wash from ProKlear and it is very effective. 250ml costs 300/- and this makes it 12/- per wash. 10ml of the WW mixed with 500ml of water in a spray bottle, couple of MF cloths and a drying towel. I do this process once or twice a week and it takes all of 15-20 minutes. Leaves the car squeaky clean. Good alternative for regular traditional washing with a ridiculously minimal amount of water usage.

With you stating the limitations, I would suggest skipping the water washing part at your place altogether, and get good quality wash+sealant done by a good detailer. Just look in the tbhp directory for your ideal fit.

Maintenance should include, but not necessarily remain limited to:

1. Jospasu (or if you wish to splurge - California) duster for regular dusting. while this is not 100% scratch proof way to do it, a good sealant/coating coupled with correct usage techniques drastically cuts down the number of fine scratches.

2. ONR / UWW - Use them as your go to QD.

3. Get a stack (atleast 6-8) good quality MF clothes.

4. Get Collinite 845 & a mf/foam applicator - this wax is easy to apply and buff, and you need it in very small quantities. This shall NOT be your base layer of LSP (your detailer should do that), you shall only use this monthly to top off your LSP.

5. Your detailer should also take care of the black cladding - PERL provides short time solution, while Gtechniq C4 is a long term solution. You shall be charged accordingly.

If you are getting your car done by a good detailer once every 6 months, you should use the following routine

1. Dust - everyday
2. UWW/ONR - QD - Every weekend
3. Wax with C845 - Every month end

Hope I was of some help!

Looking for ONR and the BBI site has ONR Wash and Wax. Is that the same as the wash and shine? Has anyone used it and is it worth getting it over the wash and shine?

Thanks.

I request & urge fellow bhpians who put up pictures of their cars & bikes after applying wax & sealant or any other car detailing product; to list the product used. As may a times, bhpian posts pictures but doesn't list the products, which isn't any fruitful to our growing community of detailers & D.I.Y. enthusiast.please:

ONR Wash & Wax is better in comparison to Wash & Shine as the former has wax in it and gives a better shine in comparison to later one. I would pick ONR Wash & Wax anyday over Wash & Shine.

Just a note of caution, do not let ONR Wash & Wax to dry on paint as it contains wax which may dry off on the surface. Rather buff it off when you spray it as a quick detailer(QD) or clay bar lubricant.

Took a video of the same Punto after a wash. It had tons of tar on the sides due to the owner driving the car on freshly tarred roads. All I used was some Meguiars Hyperwash and a MF mitt, all the tar just came off without even scrubbing! I was amazed at the protection Opti Coat provided, not even tar sticks to the paint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e3iBCx2KUc

Some pictures :















I've come to a conclusion that waxes and sealants are not worth spending time on anymore :) Nothing can compare to the brilliance that proper compounding/polishing and a good coating provides and it persists for a long time.

Thank you very much, that's a great explanation.

If I wasn't so lazy about stuff like waxing I might not have had to ask! <Blush>

(and thanks for the secret of the photos :) )

Any chance you've compared it with other popular coatings like Cquartz and Gtechniq ?
After watching this video on youtube,I was a half-convert too ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOgtIN7Eny8

From what I've seen, Exo V2 is at the very top, Opticoat is next, perhaps cquartz will come in the middle. I've recently used Cquartz, I'll check upon the beading and post back soon!

Nice information. But in the last line you wrote that "nothing can compare the brilliance a good coating provides". What 'coating' do you mean - please explain.

I thought compounding is for vehicles which have suffered some deterioration of the paint, original or repainted. Should not polishing and waxing be the approach for protection? Thanks.

Cheers

Bu "Coating" he means Permanent Coats Such As Gtechniq , Cquartz , Opticoat etc.

But Here He Has Used Opti Coat 2.0 On Red Punto !

If The Defects Are More , Then We Have To Use Compound Before Polishing To Achieve That Ultimate Paint Correction ! :)

Here is my 5 year old car after a round of Armorall wax topped by a sealant from Germany whose name I dont know.



I have a query.

Currently I have the the following products with me:
1. Armorall Wax and polish. Its a semi liquid stuff which gives decent results and is a mild cleansing agent too. However I dont think its an abrasive.
2. A German made wax that is excellent when it comes to shine and gives a wet look. Lasts long too, with water beading well for more than two months at a go. Its a pure wax with no polishing agents or stuff. Its similar to Collinite.
3. Simoniz Spray detailer. I think this gives a temporary shine but the gloss is good, though it is short lasting

Which is the ideal way to apply these three? I am now going by the order 1,2,3, and it has made people ask if the car or scoot is new or repainted. Hence I just want to make sure that they are applied in the right way.

I dont have info about the Wax from germany since I got a sample of the product from a nearby shop, I forgot the name but it was a genuine product and not imitation. I will go there to get more and will read the details.